Are you looking for potential sponsors to subsidize and support your volunteering programs? You have come to the right page! At times, volunteering programs require a significant amount of costs, which might exceed your initial budgeting plan. However, where there is a will, there is away! Do not let this issue brings you down! On this page, we will offer you some tips on how to draw the attention of remarkable sponsors or donors. Below are some handy tips that will help you in starting your fundraising process:
- Create a list of potential donors
By creating a list of potential donors, you will have a better viewpoint to whom you are going to address your fundraising proposal. Write down a list of everyone that you can think of. It is alright to do so since the bigger the list you have, the bigger the opportunity to receive a sponsorship. Also, do not forget to conduct some research on their companies and interests. By doing so, you will have a greater knowledge of your desired sponsors and a more substantial chance of attracting them.
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2. Setting up a fundraising account or create a webpage
Creating a fundraising account, or even a webpage, will be useful for prospective sponsors to know you more in person. On the webpage, you will need to include your biodata, your personal story, and most importantly, your volunteering reasons and goals. Explaining your passion will definitely work best in delivering your message. Speak what your heart demands, and you will find a great outcome!
Source: https://www.fundmytravel.com
3. Prepare a decent fundraising proposal
It is not enough to only create a fundraising account or a webpage. You will also need to have a competent fundraising proposal, which will help support your sponsorship application process. It is a foundation of your relationship with your donors. A fundraising proposal mainly incorporates a brief description of your volunteering program, your motivations, and goals for joining such programs, the outcomes of taking part in a volunteering program, etc. Appropriate structures for building a fundraising proposal can be found online. It is highly recommended that you choose scholarly and peer-reviewed articles as your guidelines. You might also want to start developing your funding proposal by answering the questions below:
- Who are you?
- Why do you want to go abroad? What will you be doing there?
- What do you expect to gain from the experience?
- How/what will you give in return for someone’s contribution?
- Why do you need help funding your volunteering experience abroad?
- What have you already done, and what are you planning to do, to contribute to your fundraising efforts?
Your fundraising proposal will give you great impacts you can never imagine! So, make sure to put in your best efforts to prepare a sophisticated one!
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4. Address personal letters and e-mails
After complete setting up your fundraising account or page and finalizing your fundraising proposal, it is now the time for you to distribute and spread the words. At this stage, it is important for you to approach your potential donors by sending them handwritten letters or e-mails that are personalized towards them. You might also want to consider giving out simple yet meaningful fundraising cards that sum up your entire fundraising and volunteering plans. Since you are doing something for a good cause, it is necessary for you to leave a space on your page, proposal, and cards that tell them the reasons why they should support your goals. Deliver your passion to your potential donors as this is one of the most vital parts of the fundraising process. Having an authentic and interesting fundraising proposal is one aspect, yet communicating it to others is the bigger one. If necessary, set up personal and face-to-face meetings with your donors to reassure and re-emphasize to them on why they should support you.
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5. Offer incentives to your prospective sponsors
It might also be another way to engage in more sponsors by offering them several incentives. For instance, you might offer them updates throughout your program. This might seem to be useless, yet it is crucial for them to always obtain up-to-date information on your progress. By creating this win-win solution situation, they will also be able to learn something new through your story. So, it is not only you who are learning something exciting, but they also will! Most importantly, do not forget to thank them for supporting your volunteering program. Giving out thank you cards would be one meaningful action that will display how grateful you are to them.
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6. Update on your progress and follow-up your potential donors
Let your potential sponsors know your progress on both your volunteering and sponsorship application processes. You can carry this out by updating your webpage or fundraising account regularly. By doing this, your prospective donors will enjoy following your progress and they know where to lend you a hand. You will also showcase that you are responsible and committed to your plan of participating in a volunteering program. Following up on your potential sponsors is also an important thing. Sometimes, people are busy with their own matters and tend to forget several things, including your sponsorship application request. Thus, it would be great if you take the initiative to follow-up on them on your own and be actively engaged with them in person.
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7. Be YOU!
Last but not least, most importantly, just be yourself. Be genuine in your motivations and it will drive your passions further. Pour your heart out and give your best efforts in this process. You will be mesmerized by how much you will learn at the end of every process you went through.
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As the saying goes “all roads lead to Rome”, there are so many ways to obtain the funds you need in starting your volunteering trip. Do not be discouraged if you are currently faced with an unfortunate situation, you will eventually find a way out. Good luck with your fundraising process and we await you on board in our journey!